The Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has disclosed that almost all road projects across the country are currently stalled due to debt.
He said the projects had come to a standstill as a result of unsustainable levels of contract awards by the previous government without regard for the availability of funds.
“The previous government awarded road projects without regard for the availability of funds,” he said.
In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, Mr. Agbodza, however, gave the assurance that the government was taking steps to resume major projects, such as the 33.4-kilometre Ofankor-Nsawam Road Dualisation.
“We will do this as part of a big push to prioritise their completion. We are working with the Minister of Finance to raise some funds to retire some of the debt and get the contractor back on site,” he said.
The minister was responding to concerns raised by the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana (C-DAG) over the stalled Ofankor-Nsawam road project.
C-DAG, in a statement issued yesterday and signed by its National Secretary, Mohammed Aminu Usif, called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to urgently resume and speed up construction works on the Ofankor-Nsawam dualisation project.
It said the project had become a serious hazard to both commercial and private road users.
“We have observed with disappointment the prolonged delay and neglect of construction efforts on this crucial stretch.
“As drivers and transport operators who use this route daily, we are gravely affected by its poor state,” the statement said.
“The road is barely motorable, damaging our vehicles, putting lives at risk, and disrupting our daily business operations.
“In light of this, the association is issuing a four-day ultimatum to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to resume active work on the Ofankor-Nsawam highway.
“Failure to comply will leave us with no option but to stage a peaceful but decisive demonstration to demand urgent action.
“This is not a threat but a plea born out of frustration and necessity.”
The association stressed that it believed the government had a duty to provide safe, reliable infrastructure for the people and could not continue to ignore their concerns.
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